Lubricating system for rotating equipment having a vertical shaft



Oct. 4, 1955 E. J. KACZOR 2,719,557

LUBRICATING SYSTEM FOR ROTATING EQUIPMENT HAVING A VERTICAL SHAFT Filed Jan. ll, 1951 JNVENTOR. fbw/wo .Z'Afaczae irram'wsy United States Patent") LUBRIGATING :SYSTElVLtFQRg RQTATING, EQu it lVIENTgHAYHQ zVEKTIGAL- HA T Edward LjKaezor, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to The Ohio Crankshaft Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporationof Ohio;-

Avpl safiqt anua y, -1; eri l N ,506

6 Claims. crass-4 Thisinvention .pertains to the art of lubrication and more particularly, to a dirt trap for lubricating oil-used in rotatingequipment having, a vertical axis-ofrotation-.;

The invention is particularly adapted for use on-electric motors and/0r generators of the'typewherein the rotor rotates on a ve rtical axis and-the invention will; be particularly described withreferenceto such equiplIlQflf, although it will be, appreciated that it has broader pl cat o In equipment of the type referred to, the bearing sup portinglhe lower end of the rotor shaft is required to carry heavy v mechanical loads Lubrication of these bearings is very important. It is generally not possible; to run these bearings submerged in oil. The churning actign of theoil which results generates large amounts pf heat which must be .removed by suitable cooling rneans Normally, the oil; is fed .to the bearings in metered 13 1 51 It has been proposed heretofore to pump oil axially upwardly through a vertical passagein the shaft to a point, bove he ea ngsa d then. low h l Q QW a a y outwardly through the shaft and tothe bearing andjthenee. back to a sump. Dirt in the lubricating oil has,always beena problem. This dirt may be introduced into the machine when new.oil is supplied or the d ir t.may be, v n an ps from e p o s o m n f cture. the .dirt may beinparticles that brealg or. wear oifgdnring the op at on. o e ma hin H ret e, ompl c ed: d. xpens e. filt rshave een. employ d. emot he. irt-a p e e t .from... a .h a rossih sg ama iag the bearings.

Dirt of thetype to which this inventionpentains is that whieh is, normally heavier thanwflle. lubricating 1l itself t f ufi nt y. mallsizet be Pi e up and a riedy the ov ..oi'1. rnu .h.. a :sand is. a rie y m ving, water in a river.

The invention contemplates a simple and etieetiye trap for v s= a ng. i n,q p referredtot ln accordance withdhe inye sage in the shaft is P l' OVidCdUWith a C011tlnl}Qu$ Ia dlaliQ1Z or opening intermediate the point where the lubricating oil enters the passage and thepoin t whereit leaves the passage so that, as the shaft rotates and the Oil. flows up the passage, the dirt-iscentrifuged into the slot wherejtf can be accumulated and will remain. In preferred em: bodiments of the .invention,; hedower. side wall of ,the slot is so formed so; that, whenthe rotation of the shaft is stopped, thedirt ,will be prevented. from falling .outof. the slot and backinto the. passage inthe sha ft This may be accomplishedby providing the inner edge of the lower wall of the slot with an upstanding "lip'or by sloping the lower wall downwardly and outwardly away from the passage; In a broader aspect of the invent-ion, the-passage a eP QY ed itha shoulde faing-,=d w d th direction from whieh the oil flows.-; With suchfanwarrangement, thedirt particleswill be centrifuged'out-radially and cannot-pass beyond the shoulder. However,

p 2,719,667 lC P t ted Oct. 4, 19

I when the shaft stops rotating; the-dirt artieleggathered will, of course fal1- bygravity 'into the an streain; to ;be centrifuged out againwhenthe shaft is-again rotated? The principal object of the invention-is-the provision of new and improved gneans for removing the entrained in an oil stream passing-vertically upwardly throughfanax-i aljpassagein a vertical-rotating shaft whiehqis simple-i and effective} in operation, -easily-constructed--and requiresno maintenance;;- Y

Another object ofthe-inventionis the provision of-nevw and improved means in equipment ofthe type referred to for centrifuging dirt particles from the-pill which-come; prises a radial -"slot opening ;outwardly-from -thevertical oilpassage inthe -rotating shaft 'through whieh tlie oil passes.

A-more--specific object of theinvention is the-provisioni of a new and improved dirt trap -for -the oil passingtvertieallyupwardlyin an axial: passage of aeventical-i shaft). rotating at'a relatively high rate of speed, whieh trap) comprises a continuous radial slot opening outwardly. fronrtthe passage the. islet having means to prevents-the return of anydirtaparticles centrifuged thereinto...

Other A and: more -specific; objects will appeari \upon L a readingt and understanding o f g'th-is "specification;

Theinvention. twill beespecifi'cally'set :forthgand: defined in lthe clairns appended hereto.- Thetjnvention mayittakea physical; embodimentzina numberof;differentrappearingt parts tandiarrangement of-ipartst andiapreferred embodiment-=of-rone arrangementoflspartsnwilkbe tdescribed-girt; detail'zin- .-thistspecification and-.zillustrated in the accom-U partying drawingstwhich :area -.part;here0f,? andtwhereiu:

Figural isaa .iragnaentary;v side sectional -.view: of the.

"lower;endmfistheuhtousingi=and.;shaft:of a-motongeneratnr;

unit; embodying; tandgillustrating ;the.present invention;

Figure;2 ;is1a:iragmentary;sideview of thellowicr nd of: the ishaftpartlytcin 1section-showing ;an alternative arrange? ment of the invention; and Figure1 .1; s. a t m larc e howingna ti l; u th alternativeembodim ntpf invent Refer in ve o-1 1. zd wmasrwh ch lifirfill yw r-" hfiz purposes of t atingt.. he. inventonr ndsne. ..:f r:; hei

f support ng e y ti a -lw ;1 h.... h earing: 1 1 is ier-the 'P 'PQ QL a uppo ing th st'r dial movementa d loa 13.3 e asellzmayv ofjmy onve en con ruc i n-but: eg erallyv nd pre er b y a:e s inamachind he;

esut dime s ons;. ndane est; gen ra ly, n li ylind twell-ror ore- Q X Zl. h" .a XiS.Dit o av; iene h .ti: 0;-;- anpupstandi a.cyl ndr eal flan paced qn 1 is a s rom er isofam p r. r S 3Y iIl "Wi 'hi 2 he; basei self .7 :i termediateae well 14 and; he nl h hcth -.-lqw .r.= i.d lwoftthe u eri-r etof. v 11mm m1. i c nfi d. aga nst :ra ial m ve. n. t;:. y-.J n ps and n my n ical;should r18.;1. he. ner a en fzthe i eari 2:-fits s ugly aro nd a-.-por.tion; 0 f reduced diameter nt-thcrshaf s 02: nd .has,\ earingn:;i P Per urfa e.- flan; wa h rrl e. -.m .m r: 1; 0 the. pper.- ur s t fywh eht n urn. th ...1ewer; s d fJ het nert a e he; bearingv lzres s-. Th haft 81; red c d in diamet r; 3 13 5 3: fit'1 nugly insideoft hei innergracejoftthe bearing 13.:and-hasta shoulder-.24awhich bearson the upper surface .Of-IhlS'il'lHlZ IflCC- Thetouter: race: ofathe =upper bearing -13 :fits into tthe-opening pi a w ring-likennernber-26 whieh; in turn; fits; into the upstan'dfin gcylindrical fiange -15-, thus transmitting -radi'al iercesof -the;-shaft--10 -to-the base-11f Tire-ring member}? has-L an" upstanding portion 27"Whl0h extends radially inwardly toward the outer surface of the shaft 10. This portion 27, as shown, is spaced above the upper surface of the upper bearing 13 and forms an oil seal to prevent lubricating oil from passing into the interior of the motor. A labyrinth seal could be employed if desired. Y

The lower end of the shaft has a cylindrical sleeve mounted coaxially thereon, including an upper portion 31 of an external diameter approximating the external diameter of the lower end of the shaft 10 and a lower portion 32 of a lesser diameter which extends into the well 14 of the base 11. As shown, the lower end of the portion 32 is spaced from the bottom of the well 14. The lower portion 32 has helical teeth formedon the outer surface thereof, the outer diameter of which is approximately the diameter of the well 14. These teeth function as an oil pump when the shaft rotates.

The base 11 is also provided with a plurality of generally horizontal openings 37 which communicate the lower portion of the oil sump 16 with the upper portion of the well 14. An opening 38 located just radially inwardly of the lower race of the bearing 12 communicates the passages 37 with the roller members of the bearing 12.

As shown, the shaft 10 and the sleeve 30 have aligned axial passages 45 and 46 respectively extending through the bottom of the portion 32 to a point in the shaft above the upper surface of the upper bearing 13. The passage 45 at the upper end communicates radially outwardly of the shaft 10 through a plurality of radial openings 47 which, as shown, are located above the upper bearings 13.

- Before commencing operation; that is, in the static condition, the lubricating oil is at a level as shown by the line 41. When the shaft lo commences to rotate, the helical teeth 33 on the outer surface of the portion 32 pump the oil 40 through the passage 37 and downwardly and around the bottom side of the portion 32 and thence vertically upwardly through the passages and 46 to and through the passages 47 where the oil spills onto the upper bearing 13, lubricates it and then flows back into the sump 16.

In accordance with the invention, the passage 45 is provided with means for centrifuging any dirt which might be entrained in the oil 40 and removing it from the oil stream, preferably, permanently. In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 1, these means comprise a continuous radial slot 50 in the sidewalls of the passages 45 and 46 defined by an upper side wall.

51 which is the lower end of the shaft 10, a lower side wall 52 which is the upper surface of a cylindrical recess in the upper inner edge of the sleeve 30 and an outer radial side wall 54 which is the inner surface of an upstanding cylindrical flange 53 on the sleeve 30. The lower wall 52 is preferably horizontal and the inner edge thereof has an upstanding lip 54, the purpose of which is to prevent any dirt centrifuged in the slot 50 from returning into the passage 45 under the force of gravity when the shaft 19 is stopped from its rotation. Obviously,

the lip 54 may be omitted if this function is not desired.

Also, the equivalent in function can be obtained by sloping the lower side wall 52 outwardly and downwardly as is shown more clearly in the alternative embodiment illustrated in Figure 2. It will be noted that the passag 46 below the slot 50 is imperforate.

Figure 3 shows a still further alternative embodiment of the invention which, while removing by the centrifuge process any dirt'particles which might be entrained with the lubricating oil, does not permanently remove these particles from the oil stream. In this embodiment of the invention, the lower end of the shaft 10 has the sleeve-like member 30 fastened thereto in a manner similar to the preferred embodiment butthe passage 45 in the lower end of the shaft 10 is smaller in diameter than the passage 46 in the sleeve-like member 30, thus providing a shoulder which, because of the centrifuging action throwing the dirt particles entrained in the oil 4 radially outwardly against the walls of the passage, w prevent the movement of the dirt particles upwardly beyond the shoulder. However, when the shaft 10 is stopped from rotating, it will be appreciated that these dirt particles will then fall back to the bottom of the well 14.

Thus it will be seen that embodiments of the invention have been described which are capable of accomplishing the objectives of the invention heretofore set forth and others. These embodiments have been described for the purposes of illustrating the invention only for, obvi for rotation, an axial passage in said shaft defined by generally cylindrical side walls, means for moving lubricat ing oil upwardly through said passage when said shaft is rotating, said passage having a generally continuous radial slot opening outwardly therefrom intermediate the ends thereof and being imperforate below said slot.

2. In rotating equipment, a vertical shaft supported for rotation, an axial passage in said shaft defined by generally cylindrical side walls, means for moving lubri-' cating oil upwardly through said passage when said shaft is rotating, a generally continuous radial slot in the side walls of said passage defined by a base and upper and lower side walls, the lower side wall being generally horizontal.

3. In rotating equipment, a vertical shaft supported for rotation, an axial passage in said shaft defined by generally cylindrical sidewalls, means for moving oil upwardly through said passage when said shaft is rotat ing, said passage having a generally continuous radial slot in the side walls thereof intermediate the ends of said passage, said slot being defined at least by an inwardly'fac ing base and a lower sidewall having an upwardlyextending lip at the inner radial edge.

4. In rotating equipment, a vertical shaft supported for rotation, an axial passage in said shaft defined by generally cylindrical side walls, means for movingoil upwardly through said passage when said shaft is rotating, a generally continuous radial slot opening outwardly from the side walls of said passage intermediate the ends thereof said passage being imperforate below said slot, said slot having an inwardly facing base and a lower side wall which is inclined outwardly and downwardly.

5. A vertical shaft supported for rotation, an axial passage in the shaft defined by generallycylindrical side walls, means for moving oil upwardly through thejpas sage when the shaft is rotating, a generally continuous radial slot opening outwardly from the side walls of the passage intermediate the ends thereof, the lower side wall of the slot being generally horizontal so as to prevent the return of the dirt to the passage under the force of gravity when the rotation of the shaft is'stopped.

6. A vertical shaft supported for rotation, an axial pas-isage in the shaft defined by generally cylindrical side walls, means for moving oil upwardly through said passage when the shaft is rotating, said passage having a" downwardly-facing shoulder intermediate the ends of said passage and being imperforate below said shoulder whereby dirt particles centrifuged outwardly against the walls of the passage cannot passjbeyond' the shoulder.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 980,801 Ponten Dec. 27, 1910 1,757,289 Boyd May 6,1930 1,868,814 Brush July 26, 1932 1,986,539 Schmidt Jan. 1, 1935 1,991,623 .Onsrud Feb.' 19, 1935 2,486,478 1949 Kennedy Nov. 1, 

